Paper Cranes
by Blissdreamer
Summary: Nine hundred and ninety nine. Nunnally only needs one more to make her wish, but her hands won't stop trembling.


**Paper Cranes**

_Spinning like a ghost_

_On the bottom of a_

_top_

_I'm haunted by all_

_the space that I_

_will live without_

_you_

The paper crane, made from white paper found from somewhere beside the street, folded elegantly by skilled hands, floated away in the beautiful ocean.

-

A thin trail of water, pure and white and tranquil, flowing towards inside the thick, _dark_, forest. And he follows it, excited, nervous, wondering, dreading, curious and anxious all at once.

Excited for he has never gone anywhere alone before.

Nervous for fear he would be scolded if mother found out.

Wondering at what will lie at the end of the stream.

Dreading the deep dark forest but

Too curios to stop and

Anxious too see what lies beyond.

_Curiosity killed the cat._

-

_Brother?_

He halts to a stop, ears strained to hear where the clear voice had come from. Beads of perspiration forming on his porcelain skin. A breeze suddenly blew at him, gentle and soothing, like a mother's lullaby, and his ebony locks twirled softly in the wind.

The forest had become unnaturally quiet. Not even the sound of crickets could be heard and he wonders if he should continue his journey.

_And __**really**__, I'm missing my piano class…_

His large amethyst eyes glanced upwards towards the large weeping willow before descending into the forest.

Not once did he turn to look at what he's leaving behind.

-

Somewhere out there, a girl on a wheelchair is right in front of a half-dead weeping willow. She was staring at it with her black eyes, even though she really doesn't see anything.

"Brother?"

-

_I'm only trying to make this world a better place for Nunally._

_Is that so wrong?_

_-_

The loud bang echoed through the chamber and Suzaku falls to his knees, his hand trembling as he realized at what had just done. The boy in front of him, too, collapsed onto the ground in a pool of his own blood. Though his eyes were not open, as if he had been expecting the bullet. Unconsciously, Suzaku crawled towards him and laid the youth across his lap, rocking them back and forth.

"Oh God. What have I done? Oh God. What have I done, _what have I done_?"

Kallen was silent as she watches Suzaku tremble like a child, holding Lelouch tight in his arms.

She never spoke anymore after that.

-

Peace.

He and Nunnally had found peace when they met Suzaku. He had already forgotten about taking revenge for his mother. After all, he was only a little boy.

He smiles slightly as Suzaku hefted him up like it was nothing and he smiled back, only his smile is bright and cheerful, quite unlike Lelouch's smile, which is so small that it could hardly be called a smile at all. But both of those smiles hold their own deep meaning.

Innocent little boys.

-

"Brother! Look! Only a few more to go, then I'll have my wish."

She says all this in an excited voice and her head was turned towards her brother, how she knew he was there, no one knows. Lelouch smiles and settles on the spot beside his sister, tucking his legs underneath him comfortably.

"How many are there left?"

"Just twenty-three- Brother?" Her smile has faltered.

"Hmm?"

"Are you crying?"

"Of course not, silly. Why would I cry?"

"Oh, okay then. Will you help me make these?" She holds out the paper cranes with her hands towards empty air.

"Why, wouldn't that be cheating?" He asks her in a mocking tone.

"Nope, you can share a wish with me if you want…"

He laughs at that, though fresh tears were flowing from his eyes.

"Of course I'll help you do it, Nunnally."

-

_If you cry,_

_Then I'll cry with you._

-

Nine hundred and ninety-nine. She only needs one more. Just one more. Her hands are trembling, but she only needs to make one more paper crane, then she'll be able to make her wish.

But the blasted paper keeps tearing up and she hates her unseeing eyes, she hates making these silly, _silly_, paper cranes-

Suddenly, her hands were engulfed by the warmth of another pair of hands. She tilts up her head, suddenly smiling. These hands, these hands, they feel like her brother's hands. Relief washed over her.

"Brother! I was wondering when you'd get back ho-"

"Nunnally, it's me, Suzaku."

"Su-zaku-kun? Where's my brother? Where's Lelouch?"

"Nunnally." His voice is soothing, but it wavers slightly at the next words. "I have to…tell you something."

-

_Bright sunlight poured through the Italian designed windows and onto the large abandoned piano. Dust was already forming on the furniture._

_It seems as if no one occupied the house at all. _

_Nunnally was in her room, quietly humming a tune to herself, folding paper cranes. She doesn't bother to count anymore, because she would never get her wish. Her wish was destroyed long ago, when Suzaku had clutched her hands in a death grip and told her. She didn't even __**finish**__ the thousand paper cranes. _

_The worst thing was that it was __**Suzaku**__ who killed him._

_And she only needed one more. _

_Only one more._

_-_

_Brother, are you there?_

_-_

_Spinning like a ghost_

_On the bottom of a_

_top_

_I'm haunted by all_

_the space that I_

_will live without_

_you_

_-_


End file.
